Adders are the only venomous snakes found in Britain, although they are absent from Ireland. They use their venom to immobilise prey such as lizards, amphibians, nestlings and small mammals. After striking their prey, they leave the venom to take effect before following the victim’s scent to find the body. Although an adder’s venom poses little danger to a healthy adult human, the bite is very painful and requires urgent medical attention. Adders are the most northerly distributed snake and the only species found inside the Arctic circle.

How to identify UK reptiles.


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